7:03 PM,
Mar. 22, 2013

Liam Hussey, Maya Woodson and Delaney Hall participate in a dance program during a March 2010 gym class at Sloatsburg Elementary School.

Written by

Lyn Boreland

The growing epidemic of childhood obesity is a national public health concern as well as a major threat to the well-being of the youth of New York state. According to a 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, obesity has reached epidemic proportions in New York state. Currently, one-third of New York children are obese or overweight, which puts a heavy economic burden on our health-care system and costs state residents more than $7.6 billion annually to treat related illnesses and conditions. Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents has almost ...